This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the state of massachusetts to implement resources and priorities to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl…

This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the state of massachusetts to implement resources and priorities to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and emerging contaminant challenges; target resources to communities most in need of assistance to ensure that no community is left behind with unsafe, inadequate water; and advance the priorities of equity and environmental justice. The state of massachusetts will implement projects (with the use of this award funding) such as: - provide grant funding to public water systems (PWS) and/or communities to implement long-term remedial actions to address emerging contaminants including grants to PWS for remediation and grants to communities to connect PFAS contaminated private wells to existing PWS, or create new PWS; - implement outreach and education programs to inform the public and train PWS owners and operators in small or disadvantaged communities about emerging contaminants; - provide laboratory analyses of emerging contaminants to small or disadvantaged systems, through funding for the massachusetts department of environmental protection (massdep) state laboratory to build capacity for certification of commercial laboratories for emerging contaminant testing, and through testing by commercial laboratories, as needed; and - use the mobile testing laboratory at the university of massachusetts amherst (umass) for testing emerging contaminant treatment technologies and treatment operation and maintenance education for small or disadvantaged PWS. Activities:the activities include projects and activities to address emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities, including but not limited to research and testing; planning and design to address emerging contaminates; treatment of emerging contaminants; source water activities related to emerging contaminants; storage; water system restructuring; providing households access to drinking water services; technical assistance; outreach and education; and workforce or training support to public water systems in addressing emerging contaminants. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:this agreement is to an eligible state or territory to implement a program to provide assistance to address emerging contaminants in drinking water to small or disadvantaged communities. Funds are to carry out projects and activities needed for public water systems to comply with the safe drinking water act, programs to provide household water quality testing, activities for a state to respond to a drinking water contaminants, and activities that benefit the impacted communities. The anticipated deliverables include the following: 1. Number of PWS that remediate their water supplies and the population served, including: a. Number of PWS that consolidate with other PWS. B. Number of treatment plants designed and the population served by the PWS for which they are designed. C. Number of new treatment systems constructed and installed and the population served. D. Number of new wells developed and the population served. E. Number of private wells connected to an existing PWS and the population served. 2. Number of public outreach and engagement resources created and meetings/workshops conducted. 3. Number of operators trained to use new equipment/technology and the population served by the PWS that employ these operators. 4. Number of treatment technologies tested by the mobile testing laboratory. 5. Number of free samples provided to PWS and private well owners. The expected outcomes include the following: 1. A reduction in the number of water supplies, including PWS and private wells, serving small or disadvantaged communities providing water that is out of compliance with massachusetts' PFAS drinking water standard and a reduction in the population of massachusetts residents